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A supermarket in China is getting rotten reviews for selling what critics call an over-packaged boxed strawberry—just one!—for $22.
CitySuper in Hong Kong defended selling the heavily packaged Kotoka strawberry, a delicacy imported from Japan, saying it’s there to protect the rare fruit.
“The strawberry gift box was imported from Japan with its original packaging given its premium grade, rarity and fragility for quality protection,” a spokesperson told the Hong Kong Free Press. “The strawberries are considered as delicacies of limited quantity and they are handpicked to ensure only the highest quality ones are harvested.”
The single berry, which sells for 168 Hong Kong dollars—or $21.65—is nestled in bright pink Styrofoam and shredded paper inside a luxe-looking box that’s wrapped in plastic.
“Kotoka is an original brand strawberry from Nara Prefecture,” the box reads inside. “Please enjoy taste of rare strawberry with a good acidity and rich sweetness.”
The fancy fruit fueled an online petition calling on stores like CitySuper to “stop the excessive and unnecessary use of plastic wrap and plastic containers for their produce.”
As of Wednesday morning, the petition received more than 8,000 signatures.